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Manager reviews year, cites oil‑spill response and school‑funding risks
Summary
In a public performance evaluation the borough manager credited staff for oil‑spill response work, described continuing concerns about school‑district finances and audit timing, and told the assembly the HR director will work on a transition plan as he nears the end of his contract.
During the public portion of a performance evaluation on May 4, borough manager Ruben Duran reviewed operations, emergency responses and fiscal priorities ahead of next year’s budget. He credited staff for the Point Higgins oil‑spill response and said state and federal agencies have not fined the borough for its work.
"We were not fined by the Coast Guard, Fish & Game, or the EPA," Duran said, describing the response as a major event that tested the borough’s readiness and interagency cooperation. He also said the spill was contained and recovered in‑borough, which reduced the potential environmental impact.
Much of the subsequent exchange focused on school funding and the FY2027 budget. Finance Director Charlene Thomas briefed the assembly on funds with projected negative balances — citing capital improvement funds, school bond CIP items and large equipment purchases for fire/EMS — and warned that timing for SRS payments can affect cash flow. Assemblymembers pressed for a balanced operating budget and clearer cash‑flow analysis from the school district.
Duran said the borough is working with district staff to avoid another emergency cash‑flow scenario and emphasized the borough’s role in keeping schools operational while clarifying legal and accounting questions with the Department of Education. He also discussed succession planning, noting turnover in key roles across the region and saying the human resources director will prepare a recruitment or transition plan as his contract enters its final year.
The assembly later recessed into an executive session to evaluate an appointed employee (the borough attorney); the chair reported back that no action was taken while in executive session.
